The homeless man who suddenly assaulted a 20‑year‑old NYU student on Monday morning has a disturbing record of violent acts against women, the Post reports.
James Rizzo, a 45‑year‑old guy who’s been arrested 16 times before—including for sexual abuse, forcible touching, and even a 1997 murder charge—was charged on Tuesday night after police seized him for pushing the college student, Amelia Lewis, to the ground as she walked to class in Lower Manhattan.
The police said Rizzo was being taken into custody “caught in the act” of burglarizing an apartment near Washington Square Park on Tuesday. They also linked him to four other break‑ins in the same building, three of which took place while residents were sleeping.
Rizzo had just been released from state prison in September, where he had served a two‑year sentence for a persistent sexual abuse conviction. He re–emerged on the street around 9:30 a.m. Monday, allegedly ran up behind Lewis, struck her buttocks, grabbed her hair and shoved her to the floor before darting away.
In a tearful video posted online, the victim said: “I just really want to emphasize how not ok this is,” and added, “I’m honestly still in shock, but I’m more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city, and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable.”
The man’s extensive criminal history also includes an incident on December 27, 2023, when he reportedly grabbed a 33‑year‑old woman’s breasts on Green Street in Manhattan and snapped at her, “Oh, you want more?” according to law‑enforcement sources.
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